The California Republican Party has donated $200,000 to an initiative drive aimed at repealing recent increases to the state gas tax and vehicle fees while the campaign is still struggling to collect enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November ballot.

The infusion of cash to the group Give Voters a Voice comes as supporters of the tax increases in Senate Bill 1 released a study Wednesday that predicted the revenue generated by the levies will significantly boost the state economy.

The initiative drive has collected 550,000 of the 585,000 signatures needed to qualify a constitutional amendment that would not only repeal the taxes but require future increases to be approved by voters.

Advertisement

Feb. 28, 2018, 3:00 a.m.

A group of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s longtime supporters and staff are hoping to remind Californians of the senator’s quarter century of work in Washington with a new super political action committee called “Delivering for California.”

“I want Dianne Feinstein in the crucible,” said former California Democratic Party Chairman Phil Angelides. “I can’t think of anyone who is better equipped for these extraordinary times.”

Angelides, who is also a former state treasurer, and labor rights icon Dolores Huerta will serve as co-chairs.

Feb. 28, 2018, 3:00 a.m.

The former employer of Rep. Linda Sanchez’s husband, Jim Sullivan, paid $35,000 to settle a 2015 harassment complaint against him, according to the settlement agreement.

Norwich Public Utilities agreed in May 2016 to pay $35,000 to settle a harassment complaint filed by a female utilities employee in September 2015 against Sullivan, who was then chairman of the Connecticut-based utilities commission. A month later, Sullivan resigned from the commission he had served on for 16 years.

“My husband and I have addressed this as a family. It does not affect my views on the need for serious change in how we deal with and put an end to workplace harassment,” Sanchez, who is the vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement Tuesday.

Feb. 27, 2018, 6:51 p.m.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) announced earlier Tuesday that he planned to hold a “town hall” on Facebook to answer questions from constituents on a video live stream.

Rohrabacher didn’t hold an in-person town hall last year, but did hold at least three telephone town halls in 2017. His spokesman, Ken Grubbs, says they’re conducive to “more thoughtful questions and answers and do not abide organized protests in which constituents cannot communicate with him.”

Hours before the live stream began, Facebook users began posting questions on the event page about sanctuary cities, sober living homes, gun control and the Russia investigation. Rohrabacher said questions would be chosen from the ones posted there.

In case you missed it, the Democrats running to unseat Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange County had some major drama at the state party convention this weekend. Up for grabs was the official California Democratic Party endorsement, and UC Irvine law professor David Min nabbed it.

As his opponents raced to try to challenge the endorsement, accusations flew that Min and his camp engaged in “intimidating” behavior in the convention halls, while his supporters urged others not to overturn a vote of local activists.

Feb. 27, 2018, 2:00 a.m.

Rep. Devin Nunes’ high-profile role in the House Russia investigation has prompted one state political action committee to focus its attention on his Central Valley seat.

The committee, Red to Blue California, was created to steer money to the seven Republican-held districts in the state that backed Hillary Clinton for president, but Nunes’ Tulare district backed Trump by 10 percentage points.

Committee spokesman Andrew Feldman said the group added Nunes’ seat to its target list because it has received a lot of requests to focus on the race, and fundraising emails that mention the House Select Intelligence Committee chairman’s name bring in three times more donations than emails that don’t. Nunes has several Democratic opponents.

Feb. 26, 2018, 2:30 p.m.

Standing in a darkened room, California’s most powerful politicians were peppered with catcalls. “Hey beautiful! Why aren't you smiling?” “You're too fine to be walking out here alone!” Those were the mild ones. Many more were sexually explicit or profane.